Road grader and the like



Aug 1932- G. D. SHAEFFER ROAD GRADER AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 30. 1929 INVENTOR. Creor e Z 07mg ffer- BY A TTORNEYS 1932- G. D. SHAEFFER 1,874,210

ROAD GRADER AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 60, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

68a zifizaeffe/ BY 34%. 5 8b ATTORNEYG.

Patented Aug. 30, 1932 oNiT nsTATES PATENT. omen enonen 1'). snanrrnn, or isucxaus, onto, AsSrenbn .TO w. A. RInnnLL COMPANY, or

BUCYRUS, OHIO, A CORPQBATIONDF 01110 inoanemmnn AND man man a tnc'ationamusement so, 19 29. Serial No. 396,107.

This invention as indicated relates to road graders and the like, and has more particular reference to improvements in'the front axle construction of such graders, and hasfor an object to provide a means whereby the oscillation of such front axlein the transverse plane with respect to the main body of the grader may be arrested when such rigidity is desired to render the graderrnore suitable to particular types of workwhich it may he called upon to perform. Other objects and advantages will appear as thedesc'ription proceeds.

In spreading loose stone or other like material over an uneven road surface, it is highly desirable that the finished surface be as smooth as possible and free from objectionable waves. If the implement carrying frame is permitted to oscillate'as theverti- 9 cal pressure on the grader blade varies in-its passage over the rough, unfinished road surface, such oscillation will cause a wavy finished surface. If, however, such implement carrying frame is locked against oscillation,

5 this rigidity will materially assist in steadyin g the grader blade with a correspondingly smoother finished surface resulting.

To the accomplishment of theforegoing and related ends, said invention, then, con:

sists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The innexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings: Fig. 1 is in part a side elevation and in 3 part a sectional View of a road grader embodying the principle of my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the grader shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of that portion of the grader shown in Fig.

2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary part section and part elevation of the stabilizer in locked position; Fig. 5 is a view similarto Fig. 4 shoW-' ing the stabilizer in the non-locking position. Referring more specifically to the drawings and more especially to Fig. 1, the grader here shown consists of a main implement-carrying frame 1 supported at the forward end there- 'of by wheels 2 and supported near the rear end thereof by a tractorunit 3. It is to be understood that the improvements disclosed in this invention may be used in connection with graders other than the tractor-propelled :type shown in this figure. An adjustable implement supporting arm 4 extends rearwardly from the front axle and is supported intermediately of the ends of the carrying frameby means of adjustable arms 5. De-

pending from this adiustable arm 4 is an implement 6 which is shown in the present figure to bathe common type-of grader blade. The implement-carrying frame 1 is oscillatorily mounted at its forward end on the front axle 7 more specifically shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Attached to the front axle 7 by means of supports 8 and 9, forming a part of the for weirdly-extending yoke 10, is a verticallye xtendingyoke or arch 11 lying in a substantially vertical plane. Said yoke or arch member 11- passes through a guiding element 12 which is 'rigidlyattached to theforward end of the implementcarryingframe by means ofbolts 13" passing through apertures 13 formed therefor in the element 12. Said member 12 hasan upwardly-extending lug14 rearwardly attachedthereto to maintain said yoke member 11 in proper relation to the for wardend of the implement-carrying frame. The guiding element 12 has forwardly extending therefrom a projection 15 adapted to 'slidably secure the pin 16 in the apertures 14 ing fromthe guiding element 15 which has formed therein an aperture 21 to receive a pivot pin 21 pivotally connecting the secur- 'ing pin 16 to a cam element 22. Theelement 15 has alug 27 projecting forwardly therefrom, which lies between'the two side elements of the cam member 22 and along with the securing pin 16 keeps such cam element in operative alignment with the element 15.

The cam element 22 has a bearing surface 23 adapted to engage the forward surface 24 of the guiding element 15 and has projecting therefrom an arm 24 with an aperture 25 formed near one end thereof, to which is se-. cured the controlling lever 26. As illustrated in Fig. 4, when the controlling lever '26 has been moved to the forward position here illustrated, the spring 17 moves the. securing pin 16 into operable engagement with the aperture 17 of the yoke member 11. .In this position the implement-carrying frame lis secured against oscillation with respect to the front axle 7. As illustrated in Fig. 5, when the controlling lever 26 has been pulled back to the position here indicated, the cam element 22 has been rotated about the pivot pin 21 so that the surface 28 of the cam element 22 rests against the forward surface 24 of the element 15. The surface 28 of the cam element 22 is so formed that when the cam is in the position illustrated in Fig. 5 the spring 17 will hold the cam in this position without any locking means being necessary for the controlling lever 26. When the cam occupies the position illustrated in Fig. 5, the end 19 of the pin 16 has been withdrawn from the aperture 17 of the yoke member 11, thereby permitting the oscillation of the implement frame with respect to the front axle when the conditions of operation under which the implement is employed do not necessarily require rigidity of the implement frame. When the locking pin 16 rigidly secures the implement frame 1 against oscillation the grader is especially adaptable to use in spreading loose stone or other like material over a road surface. The rigidity of the implement frame with respect to the front axle as the vertical pressure on the grader blade varies in its passage over the uneven road surface materially assists in the uniformity with which the grader blade operates, thereby producing a correspondingly smoother fin- .ish to the spread stone or other like material.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of and a securing element attached to said frame adapted to engage saidyoke to restrain undesired transverse oscillation of the body frame.

3. In a road grader and the like, the combination with an implement-carrying frame,

of an axle oscillatorily mounted on said frame, a vertically disposed yoke attached to said axle, a guiding means for said yoke attached to said frame and a reciprocal member in said guiding means adapted to coactwith said yoke ,to restrain undesired transverse oscillation of the body frame.

4. In a: road grader and the like, the combination with an implement-carrying frame, of an axle oscillatorily mounted on said frame, a vertically disposed yoke attached to saidaax-le,.a guiding means for said yoke, and securingmeans adapted to coact with said yoke and frame to restrain undesired transverse oscillation of the body frame.

5. Inla road grader and the like, the combination with an implement-carrying frame, of an axle oscillatorily mounted on said frame, a vertically. disposed yoke attached to said axle, a means for guiding said yoke, reoiprocalmeans for fixedly securing said yoke to said frame, and cam means for actuating said reciprocal means.

Signed by me this 27 day of September,

' GEORGE D. SHAEFFER.

the one explained,change being made as re- 7 gards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a road grader and the like, the combination with an implement-carrying frame, of an axle oscillatorily mounted on said frame and provided with supporting wheels, and a vertically disposed yoke attached to said axle and adapted to releasably engage said frame .to restrain undesired transverse oscillation .of the body frame. 

